North Central High School Distinguished Alumnus

M. GAIL KEELING

Class of 1965Inducted 2009

Gail Keeling’s family lived in the West Central neighborhood when he entered North Central as a freshman in 1961. During his years at N.C., he was one of the city’s best prep athletes. He played varsity football and basketball, but his specialty was track, where he was a four-year letterman as a hurdler and high jumper.

After graduating from North Central in 1965, he went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Eastern Washington State University in 1969 and obtained his license as a Certified Public Accountant.

Early in his career, Gail was a financial executive in the wood products and manufacturing industries. In 1990 he joined Premera Blue Cross as an Accounting Manager for Eastern Washington. In 1996 he was promoted to Vice President of Operations, and served as General Manager of Spokane Operations for the company until his retirement in 2011.

Gail has also served as a board member for many community organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Spokane Partnership, the YMCA, Cancer Patient Care, the United Way, the American Heart Association, and Inland Northwest Community Foundation Investment Committee.

In addition, he took an active leadership role in Premera Blue Cross’s Corporate Social Responsibility effort in Eastern Washington. Gail had oversight for the company’s $1,000,000 contribution to the Washington State University School of Nursing and ensured employee participation in community events, such as the United Way, Bloomsday, Hoopfest, and disease-related fundraisers.

Gail has been a member of the North Central High School Alumni Association Educational Foundation board of directors since its inception in 2010. He currently serves as the Foundation’s treasurer. In honor of their father, Gail and his brother Rick (’67) founded and fund the Leonard G. Keeling Scholarship, which is presented annually to a N.C. graduate who lived in the West Central community.